RICHARDSON, Texas (Dec. 17, 2002) – The Office of the Vice President
for Research and Graduate Education at The University of Texas at
Dallas (UTD) has expanded its external advisory council to 27 members
with the addition of a leading academician, an expert in fiber optics,
a prominent attorney and a pioneer in the field of biotechnology.

The council is
tasked with helping university administrators plan the future of the
university’s research, assisting in maintaining a sense of direction
and focus in current research and interacting with UTD’s internal
council to build a common view of research. Members also provide insight
into trends, entrepreneurial activities, government liaison and global
outreach.

“The leadership
of UTD intends to build a world-class university. Some of the ingredients
include global connections, stellar research, and, last but not least,
sound advice from leaders who have strong ties to cutting-edge technologies,”
said Dr. Da Hsuan Feng, vice president for research and graduate education
at UTD. “I am confident that that these new members -- who include
the first Asian to be the chancellor of a British university, the
man who coined the phrase ‘bioinformatics,’ a researcher from Texas
Instruments and the chair of a major law firm technology practice
group -- all are going to have a strong impact on the research direction
of The University of Texas at Dallas.”

The new members
include:

• David K. Johnson,
front plane product line manager of the fiber optics business unit
of Texas Instruments, Inc. Johnson directs the definition, development
and delivery of products for the high-speed communications markets.
Products include high-speed serial links for datacom and telecom
customers and components for optical modules, including CDRs (Clock
and Data Recovery), laser drivers, post amps and TIAs (transimpedance
amplifier, a type of signal processing electronics regularly used
with photodiodes).

• Dr.
Hwa A. Lim, who serves on the board of several Silicon Valley-companies,
including AbMetrix, Inc., D’Trends, Inc., Ivy Holding Group and
NanoProteomiX, Inc., and on the board of a Michigan-based company,
GeneGo, Inc. He has written and edited 11 books, including a recent
history of the bioinformatics field, Genetically Yours. He is best
known for establishing and shaping the bioinformatics field, including
coining the word “bioinformatics.”

• David
L. McCombs, is the chair of Haynes and Boone’s Technology Practice
Group and a member of the firm’s board of directors. He is the president
of The TechLaw Group, an international network of U.S. and foreign
law firms collectively having more than 5,000 lawyers. The organization
meets on a regular basis to discuss a variety of national and international
intellectual property and technology issues. Haynes and Boone is
the fifth largest law firm headquartered in Texas.

• Dr.
Fujia Yang, chancellor of Nottingham University of the United Kingdom.
Yang is the former president of one of China's top universities,
Fudan University of Shanghai. This year, he was been appointed a
member of the board of the Nuclear Threat Initiative, a committee
co-chaired by Ted Turner and former U.S. Sen. Sam Nunn of Georgia.
He is a world-renowned atomic and nuclear physicist.

About UTD
The University of Texas at Dallas, located at the convergence of Richardson,
Plano and Dallas in the heart of the complex of major multinational
technology corporations known as the Telecom Corridor, enrolls
more than 13,000 students. The school’s freshman class traditionally
stands at the forefront of Texas state universities in terms of average
SAT scores. The university offers a broad assortment of bachelor’s,
master’s and doctoral degree programs. For additional information
about UTD, please visit the university’s Web site at www.utdallas.edu.